One of the many beauties of the sport of angling is the diversity of species, methods, philosophies, and enthusiasts. The cricket that is played on the playing fields of Eton is exactly the same game as seen on a dusty backyard in Rawalpindi. The golfer hacking his or her way around the municipal nine-hole course is evidently engaged in the same pursuit as Rory McIlroy when he tees off in the Masters. But angling is split into multiple strands, whose practitioners often know little or nothing of each other.
And this brings attitudes. The salmon angler looks down on the chub fisherman, who regards the salmon man as a very different order of being. The man who fishes the wet fly downstream for trout is dismissed as a poor creature by the man who only ever fishes his spider patterns upstream. The dry-fly fisherman looks down his nose at the nymph fisher, while the nymph fisher — who sight-fishes for individual grayling and makes fine calculations of how quickly his tiny Pheasant Tail will sink through the water — regards the mayfly hatch as a rather vulgar affair.
This story is from the May 27, 2020 edition of Shooting Times & Country.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the May 27, 2020 edition of Shooting Times & Country.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
United we stand
Following United Utilities' decision to end grouse shooting on its land, Lindsay Waddell asks what will happen if we ignore our vital moors
Serious matters
An old gamebook prompts a contemplation on punt-gunning
They're not always as easy as they seem
While coneys of the furry variety don't pose a problem for Blue Zulu, he's left frustrated once again by bolting bunnies of the clay sort
Debutant gundogs
There's lots to think about when it comes to making the decision about when to introduce your dog to shooting
When the going gets rough
Al Gabriel returns to the West London Shooting School to brush up on his rough shooting technique
The Field Guide To British Deer - BDS 60th Anniversary Edition
In this excerpt from the 60th anniversary edition of the BDS's Field Guide To British Deer, Charles Smith-Jones considers the noise they make
A step too far?
Simon Garnham wonders whether a new dog, a new gun and two different fields in need of protection might have been asking too much for one afternoon's work
Two bucks before breakfast
A journey from old South London to rural Hertfordshire to stalk muntjac suggests that the two aren't as far detached as they might seem
Stalking Diary
Stalkers can be a sentimental bunch, and they often carry a huge attachment to their hill
Gamekeeper
Alan Edwards believes unique, private experiences can help keepers become more competent and passionate custodians of the countryside